The head of Carlsberg, Arup-Andersen, said that the Russian authorities stole their Baltika.
The Carlsberg Group announced that it had severed all ties with its Russian business and rejected a deal with the Russian government.
The company’s general director, Jacob Aarup-Andersen, called the transfer of the Baltika brewing company to temporary management to the Federal Property Management Agency “theft.” The Danish beer producer believes that the agreement would legitimize the transfer, however, due to limited interaction with the management of Baltika and the Russian authorities, it is not possible to find an acceptable solution to the situation.
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Later, the Russian Ministry of Finance responded to the accusations of the head of Carlsberg. It is clarified that Baltika did not become the property, but was transferred to the temporary management of the Federal Property Management Agency. This does not mean a change in the ownership structure, the department indicated.
Carlsberg left Russia in 2022
Carlsberg Group owns eight factories in Russia, being the second largest beer producer in the country. The company announced its withdrawal from the Russian market in 2022. At the same time, Heineken suspended its operations. In addition, the largest beer producers in the Czech Republic, such as Plzensky Prazdroj (brands Pilsner Urquell, Velkopopovický Kozel and Gambrinus), Budweiser Budvar, Bernard and Staropramen, decided to stop supplies to Russia.
In June of this year, Carlsberg found a buyer for Baltika, which it announced without mentioning the second participant in the transaction or the exact timing of its completion. The following month, by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the shares of foreign owners in Baltika were transferred to the temporary management of the Federal Property Management Agency.
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Previously, Carlsberg announced its intention to challenge the transfer of its assets and business in Russia under state control. The Danish company terminated licensing agreements for its brands in Russia, which allowed Baltika to produce and sell Carlsberg products in the country, including Tuborg and Kronenbourg beer. Baltika is demanding in court that its trademarks be preserved.
Beer imports to Russia soared
Earlier it became known that since the beginning of 2023, beer supplies to Russia have skyrocketed. Imports of beverages from January to June increased by almost 35 percent year-on-year and amounted to 179.9 million liters. Current figures are higher than the level of 2019 and 2020 by 20.8 and 4.7 percent, respectively.
Germany remained the largest supplier of beer to Russia – in annual terms, shipments increased by 46.4 percent, to 102.7 million liters. Beverage imports from Belgium doubled to 19.4 million liters. Supplies from the Czech Republic increased by 32.4 percent, to 19.2 million liters. Beer imports from China also doubled to 8.4 million liters.
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